In this episode of Behind the Counter Pharmacy and Beyond, Solomon Abuede is joined by Gisela Abbam OBE, Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), for a conversation about pharmacy regulation, the changing role of pharmacists, and the future of the profession.
Gisela shares her personal journey into healthcare and global health, what brought her into pharmacy regulation, and her vision for how pharmacy can play a stronger role within the wider healthcare system.
In this episode, we discuss:
• Gisela’s journey from personal healthcare experiences to global health advocacy
• How the GPhC is changing its approach to supporting and listening to the profession
• The future of independent prescribing and the clinical expertise of community pharmacists
• How the GPhC is supporting pharmacists and pharmacy technicians
• Patient safety and the growing problem of fake online pharmacies
• Fitness to practice, equality, diversity and inclusion within pharmacy
• Medicine shortages and the wider pressures facing the profession
• Proposed changes to the registration route for international pharmacists
• The importance of stronger collaboration between pharmacists, doctors and other healthcare professionals
• What the UK gets right about pharmacy and what it could learn from other countries
🎙️ Listen to the full episode of Behind the Counter Pharmacy and Beyond now.

Janet Morrison OBE: Pharmacy Funding, Price Concessions & Opening Hours | CPE Chief Executive

In this episode of Behind The Counter: Pharmacy and Beyond, Solomon Abuede is joined by Janet Morrison OBE, Chief Executive of Community Pharmacy England, for an insightful discussion on the challenges and opportunities shaping the profession.
Together, they explore the realities behind community pharmacy funding, Drug Tariffs, price concessions, medicine shortages, contract negotiations, and the reforms needed to build a more sustainable future for the sector. Janet also addresses common misconceptions about Community Pharmacy England, explains how the organisation represents pharmacy owners, and shares her perspective on independent prescribing, the NHS 10-Year Health Plan, and the evolving role of community pharmacy within the wider healthcare system.
In this episode:
• Janet Morrison’s leadership journey
• Community Pharmacy England explained
• Pharmacy funding and contract negotiations
• Drug Tariffs and price concessions
• Why pharmacies are dispensing at a loss
• Medicine shortages and supply chain pressures
• Independent prescribing
• The NHS 10-Year Health Plan
• The future of community pharmacy and healthcare leadership

Whether you’re a pharmacy owner, pharmacist, pharmacy technician, healthcare professional, or simply interested in the future of community pharmacy, this episode offers valuable insights into the policies, challenges, and opportunities shaping the profession.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to Like, Subscribe, and Share.

In this insightful episode, Solomon Abuede sits down with our guest Nicola Goodberry Kenneally, CEO of Community Pharmacy West Yorkshire, to unpack the latest Community Pharmacy Contract announcement and what it really means for pharmacy contractors, pharmacists, and the future of community pharmacy.
Together, they discuss the biggest funding uplift community pharmacy has received within the NHS, the £239 million margin write-off, the introduction of Independent Prescribing within Pharmacy First, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the profession.
The conversation explores whether the new funding goes far enough, how contractors can adapt to an evolving healthcare landscape, and why innovation, private services, and Independent Prescribing are becoming increasingly important for the future sustainability of community pharmacies.
Key topics covered include:
• The latest Community Pharmacy Contract changes
• What the £239 million margin write-off means for contractors
• Independent Prescribing and Pharmacy First updates
• Why CPWY believes contract reform is essential
• The growing role of private services in pharmacy
• How community pharmacies can remain sustainable and profitable
• Support available from CPWY for pharmacists and contractors
• Career advice for pharmacy students and newly qualified pharmacists
• The future of community pharmacy and the opportunities ahead
Nicola also shares her perspective on leadership, the changing pharmacy landscape, and why she remains optimistic about the future of the profession despite ongoing challenges.
Whether you’re a pharmacy contractor, pharmacist, pharmacy student, or healthcare professional, this episode provides valuable insights into where community pharmacy is heading and how to prepare for the changes ahead.
🎧 Listen now and join the conversation.

In this episode of the Pharmacy Ownership Series, we dive into one of the most pressing challenges facing community pharmacy today time.

As dispensing volumes increase and operational costs continue to rise, many pharmacy owners are finding themselves trapped in a system that prioritizes workload over value. But what if the real problem isn’t just funding but how time is being spent?

We explore the Hub & Spoke model, a system designed to separate dispensing from patient-facing services — allowing pharmacies to operate more efficiently while creating capacity for growth.

Through this conversation, we break down:

• What Hub & Spoke really means in practice

• The advantages and operational efficiencies it can bring

• The financial realities behind the model (costs, margins, and trade-offs)
• Why “more items” does not always equal “more profit”
• The importance of workflow, structure, and internal SOPs
• How pharmacy owners can rethink their business model beyond dispensing

This episode also challenges traditional thinking, highlighting why pharmacy can no longer be viewed as just a “corner shop” and why adapting to change is no longer optional.

Whether you’re an aspiring pharmacy owner, an established contractor, or simply interested in the future of healthcare delivery, this conversation offers valuable insight into where the industry is heading.

Key takeaway:
Outsourcing doesn’t create money it creates capacity. What you do with that capacity is what determines your growth.

In this episode of Beyond the Counter Pharmacy and Beyond, hosts Solomon Abuede and our guest Qammar Nazir dive deep into the realities of pharmacy ownership. With nearly two decades of experience, Qammar Nazir, Managing Director of Ascent Welfield Group, shares the lessons, challenges, and personal sacrifices behind growing from a locum pharmacist to the owner of over 50 pharmacies.

From the early days of saving and taking calculated risks, to navigating partnerships, managing cash flow, and building a supportive team, Qammar’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, strategic thinking, and passion-driven growth.

He opens up about:

• The importance of choosing purpose over profit

• Why partnerships should be based on merit, not friendship

• The critical need to agree on exit plans before entering a partnership

• Lessons learned from nearly 20 years in pharmacy ownership, including the personal cost of time, stress, and constant operational challenges

• How to scale successfully without losing control or compromising your values

Whether you’re a pharmacist, aspiring business owner, or simply curious about what it takes to grow and sustain a business in a challenging industry, this episode offers practical insights, cautionary advice, and inspiration to navigate your own journey.

🎧 Tune in to discover the strategies, mindset, and sacrifices behind nearly 20 years in pharmacy ownership.

What does it take to keep a pharmacy running for over a decade?

In this episode, we sit with our guest Temi, a Superintendent Pharmacist and pharmacy owner with over ten years of experience. He shares an honest look at what it takes to survive, grow, and thrive in pharmacy ownership from the first challenging years of starting from zero, worrying about paying suppliers, to building systems that allowed sustainable growth and expansion.

We discuss everything it really takes customer experience, stock management, leadership, teamwork, professionalism, financial strategy, reinvesting profits, and maintaining faith through tough seasons. Temi also shares lessons learned from his brother and mentors, showing how seeking counsel early could have saved time, money, and stress.

In this episode, you will learn:

• How Temi survived the toughest first 2 years of pharmacy ownership

• Why pharmacy isn’t a get-rich-quick scheme purpose matters more than profit

• The importance of leadership over just management

•How teamwork and professional systems help scale the business

• Reinvesting profits to grow and sustain multiple branches

• Lessons in resilience and relying on faith to push through challenges

• Seeking guidance and learning from those who’ve gone ahead

• How putting patients first drives both fulfillment and business success

• Key financial and strategic decisions that made a difference

🎙️ Listen now and discover the mindset, strategies, and lessons that kept a pharmacy thriving for 10 years.

In this episode, we explore one of the most critical and least discussed phases of pharmacy ownership the stage around five years in, where the realities of running a pharmacy begin to surface more clearly and the pressure of ownership often feels heavier rather than easier.

Joining us is Olamide Olakanmi, pharmacy contractor, owner, and superintendent pharmacist at Coal Pharmacy, who shares an honest and reflective account of his journey from working in community pharmacy to owning his first pharmacy, and eventually expanding to a second branch.

Our guest Olamide takes us through his early decisions, including launching his first pharmacy around 2020, initially experimenting with a distance-selling model as an entry point into ownership.

Although it offered a quicker and seemingly easier start, he reflects on why it limited long-term growth and how that realization led him to transition into a brick-and-mortar pharmacy a move that came with operational, financial, and personal challenges.

As the conversation unfolds, we discuss what it truly means to grow beyond the first pharmacy. Olamide shares how running COVID vaccination services forced him to step away from daily operations for the first time, and how seeing the business function effectively in his absence became a pivotal moment that gave him the confidence to expand into a second branch.

This conversation breaks down what pharmacy owners often don’t anticipate at this stage, including:

• Why pharmacy ownership doesn’t necessarily get easier with time and why the five-year mark can feel heavier than the early years.

• The shift from survival mode to building systems, processes, and a clear long-term vision.

• Learning when and how to step away from day-to-day operations without losing control of the business.

• The importance of investing in technology, audit trails, and structured stock ordering and knowing when over-investment becomes a risk.

• How leadership evolves with ownership, including the challenge of trusting people, delegating responsibility, and allowing room for mistakes.

• The financial realities of ownership, such as rising drug costs, cash-flow pressure, and the difference between being profitable and being financially stable.

• The personal sacrifices owners often make, including time, energy, and dipping into personal savings to support the business.

• Navigating external pressures such as NHS changes, drug pricing, staffing costs, and national insurance increases.

• The importance of mentorship, peer learning, and seeking advice from those who have walked the path before you.

• Why can pharmacy be more than a dispensary, and how can ownership become a platform for other opportunities when set up correctly.

Throughout the episode, Olamide reflects on how his leadership style has changed over time, the value of investing in people, and the importance of protecting personal health to avoid burnout. He also shares whether he believes pharmacy is still a good business today and the advice he would give his younger self as he reflects on his journey so far.

Whether you are in the early years of ownership, approaching the five-year turning point, or considering pharmacy ownership in the future, this episode offers practical insight, honest lessons, and real-world perspective on building a pharmacy that can grow, evolve, and stand the test of time because at this stage, there truly is a lot to learn.

The Truth About Pharmacy Ownership in Scotland

In this episode, we step into the Reality Stage, where the excitement of pharmacy ownership fades and the real challenges begin.

Our guest, Emmanuel Umezulike, is a pharmacist and pharmacy contractor who has owned pharmacies in Scotland for nearly two years. Having lived, studied, and practiced in Scotland for over 11 years, Emmanuel shares honest insight into pharmacy ownership within the Scottish funding and contract system and how different it is from England.

We discuss:

• How Emmanuel went from never considering ownership to running two pharmacies

• Going into ownership without guidance and learning on the job

• How NHS Scotland funding works, including advance payments and activity-based income

• Why understanding your numbers and adding services matters

• The realities of staffing, operations, and building the right team

• The personal and mental toll of ownership in the first year

• Whether pharmacy ownership is still a good business in Scotland and England

This episode is a real, practical conversation for pharmacists considering ownership, new owners navigating chaos, and anyone curious about the business side of pharmacy.

🎧 Listen now and step into the reality stage of pharmacy ownership.